Friday, December 25, 2015

All that glitters is not gold. Not all who wander are lost. And some people who do experiments are not scientists, but just hacks pursuing an overtly ideological agenda.

Invisibility Cloaks and Knapsacks: How the Advantaged Work to Conceal Privilege

Taylor Phillips & Brian Lowery Stanford Working Paper, January 2016

Abstract:
We suggest the experience of unfair advantage pits two critical motives: the merit motive and the maintenance motive. Together, these motives lead people to mobilize their advantage in order to secure desired outcomes, but to conceal these advantages under the cloak of merit as they do so. In Experiments 1a and 1b, we find that when their advantages are exposed, the wealthy (but not the non-wealthy) claim increased effort at work. In Experiment 2, we show that the social elite claim their social advantages (family connections) were the result of effort, but suggest others’ social advantages were not. In Experiment 3, we find that the wealthy not only claim, but commit greater effort when their class advantages are exposed. Finally, in Experiment 4, we show that the educational elite claim that advantage resources are not useful, but then continue to take these resources and use them to their benefit anyway.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

People, I once had a department chair who denied that, if we had a policy of giving above average (in percentage terms) raises to the lower paid faculty, in the long run everyone would be paid the same. Just flat out denied the math.

This same chair, upon the occasion of me complaining that my evaluation was above the departmental average while my raise was below, told me not to worry, that everyone had gotten a below average raise.

Yes HRH HRC has proclaimed that she would close any school that was below average. Like it was obvious and I guess just be a few. Sadly, no one asked her how, in the long run, we were gonna fit all the kids in the US into one school (barring ties of course).

Mrs. Angus has suggested to me that maybe HRC was thinking globally, closing any US school below the global average.

I think Mrs. Angus has a bright future in politics.

ps. this same chair, in a public seminar, vehemently denied that (PQ)/Q = P. Vehemently.

Monday, December 21, 2015

Terry Pratchett's book, Making Money, has a passage on gold that I found pretty insightful.
It is in Chapter 5 of the book, starting on page 136.

Moist grinned as the discussion wobbled back and forth. Whole new theories of money were growing here like mushrooms, in the dark and based on bullshit. But these were men who counted every half-farthing and slept at night with the cash box under their bed. They'd weight out flour and raisins and rainbow sprinkles with their eyes ferociously focused on the scale's pointer, because they were men who lived in the margins. If he could get the idea of paper money past them then he was home and, if not dry, then at least merely Moist.
"So you think these might catch on?" he said, during a lull.
The consensus was, yes, they could, but should look "fancier," in the words of Natty Poleforth--"You know, with more fancy lettering and similar."
Moist agreed, and handed a note to every man, as a souvenir. It was worth it.
"And if it all goes wahoonie-shaped," said Mr. Proust, "you've still got the gold, right? Locked up down there in the cellar?"
"Oh yes, you've got to have the gold," said Mr. Drayman.
There was a general murmur of agreement, and Moist felt his spirits slump.
"But I thought we'd all agreed that you don't need the gold?" he said. In fact, they hadn't, but it was worth a try.
"Ah, yes, but it's got to be there somewhere," said Mr. Drayman.
"It keeps banks honest," said Mr. Poleforth, in the tone of plonking certainty that is the hallmark of that most knowledgeable of beings, The Man In The Pub.
"But I thought you understood," said Moist. "You don't need the gold!"
"Right, sir, right," said Mr. Poleforth soothingly. "Just so as it's there."
"Er . . . do you happen to know why it has to be there?" said Moist.
"Keeps banks honest," said Mr. Poleforth, on the basis that truth is achieved by repetition.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Star Wars 2 has an interesting passage, one that fully comprehends politics. Surprisingly insightful, for a George Lucas script....

OBI-WAN
You look tired.

ANAKIN
I don't sleep well, anymore.

OBI-WAN
Because of your mother?

ANAKIN
I don't know why I keep dreaming
About her now. I haven't seen her
since I was little.
OBI-WAN
Dreams pass in time.

ANAKIN
I'd rather dream of Padmé. Just
Being around her again is...
intoxicating.

OBI-WAN
Mind your thoughts, Anakin, they
betray you. You've made a
commitment to the Jedi order... a
commitment not easily broken...
and don't forget she's a
politician. They're not to be
trusted.
ANAKIN
She's not like the others in the
Senate, Master.

OBI-WAN
It's been my experience that
Senators are only focused on
pleasing those who fund their
campaigns... and they are more
than willing to forget the
niceties of democracy to get those
funds.
ANAKIN
Not another lecture, Master. Not
on the economics of politics....
It's too early in the morning... and
besides, you're generalising. The
Chancellor doesn't appear to
be corrupt.

OBI-WAN
Palpatine's a politician, I've
observed that he is very clever at
following the passions and
prejudices of the Senators.